Bywater's Dance



53'



under the bed-clothes, and kept it there, she might
possibly have heard the sounds of the rescue.
  So they kept Charley on board. He had evidently
struck his head against something which had caused
the wVound, and stunned him. It may have been, it is
just possible that it may have been, against the pro-
jecting wall of the boat-house, as he turned the corner
in his fright and hurry. If so, that, no doubt, caused
his fall and his stumble into the water. The woman
-she had children of her own; that great girl whom
you saw scraping potatoes was one, and she had two
others still vounger-washed the wound, and tried to
bring Charley round. But she could not awaken him
to full consciousness. His mind appeared to be wander-
ing, and ere another day had passed he was in strong
delirium. NXIhether it was the blow, or the terrible
fright which had preceded it, or-and this was most
probable-both combined, Charles Channing was at-
tacked with brain fever. The woman nursed him
through it. She applied her own simple remedies.
She cut off his hair, and kept wet linen constantly
to his head; and hot bricks wrapped round with
wet steaming flannels, to his feet; and she gave him
a certain herb tea to drink, which, in her firm belief
and experience, had never vet failed to subdue fever.
Perhaps Charley did as well without a doctor as he
would have done with one. By the time they reached
their destination the malady was subsiding; but the
young patient was so prostrated and wveak, that all he
could do was to lie quite still, scarcely opening his eyes,
scarcely moving his hands.
  When he became able to talk, they were beginning to
move up stream again, as the woman called it. Charley
told her all about himself, about his home, his dear
mamma and Judith, his papa's ill-health, and hopes of
restoration, his college school-boy life. It was delicious
to lie there in the langour of returning health, and talk
of these things. The kindly woman won his love and
confidence; but when she asked him how he came to
fall into the river, he could never remember. In the
social atmosphere of companionship, in the bright sun-
light, Charley could look back on the ' ghost ' in the
cloisters, and draw his own deductions. His good
sense told him it was no ghost; that it was all a trick